Like a Candle in the Night
by Inuyoshie
Summary: She shone like a candle in the darkness of Las Noches, a small reminder of the humanity all the arrancar shunned the day they all became hollows, a small beacon of hope. StarkXOrihime


Like A Candle in the Night

**Hallo hallo, this is Inuyoshie randomly trying my hand at that idea of a handful of themes and some short little blurbs to go with them. It's vague for a reason, that's part of the style. Also, I can see Stark being very vague about his relationship with Orihime. Yes, it's a StarkXOrihime, because there needs to be more of this pairing. So says I.**

**I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo get's the kudos for that one.**

**1. Reasons**

It wasn't her boobs. Really. Those weren't what impressed me. It was her… outlook. Her way of staying positive even though her life looked bleak; being forced to serve her enemy, being trapped in a world without any sun yet she still shone brighter than any star.

**2. Silence**

They're all so quiet. Well, except for Nnoitera and Grimmjow. And Yami… and sometimes Szayel Aporro, once you get him talking about science. But the rest… they're almost always silent. His silence though… it was bored. Like he was bored with life, bored with being an Espada… it was weird.

**3. Cage**

She was lonely. This bothered me, I was loneliness. No one else should have to feel the awful pain of being separated from all others. Yet there she was, trapped in her cold little cage- it was a cage, albeit a nicely furnished one-with a lonely heart.

**4. Rank**

Who was he anyways? Everyone else bragged about their rank loudly- making it up to be an Espada was hard work after all, but who was he? He couldn't be the Primera, no, that would just be weird. It's impossible to fathom the most powerful arrancar in Las Noches spending all of his time sleeping!

**5. Bizarre**

Lilinette's being annoying. Again. Then again, what else is new? She is my motivation to do things after all. She says that girl is here. That wakes me up. Sure enough, there in my doorway stands Orihime Inoue, solemn and shy as always. Bizarre.

**6. Mountain**

Ulquiorra has a mission. This makes me afraid for my friends; he's undoubtedly going off to hurt Shinigami. But since I have no one to watch me, I was sent to this strange bored Espada, Stark. He just stared at me for a few minutes, and then fell back into his mountain of pillows.

**7. Aggression **

"They're soft," she said, bouncing on them. I nodded a little to show her that I heard. If I didn't she may attack my manhood like Lilinette does… although it's hard to see such violence coming from such a shy, kind girl, a bright sun in a desolate sky.

**8. Pillows**

Stark has such nice pillows! They remind me of the ones I had back at home only much bigger. I lay on them and felt my body get light instantly. It's almost as if these pillows induce sleep! No wonder Stark sleeps all day.

**9. Laziness**

Now Lilinette's even more annoyed with me than usual. Apparently I'm 'rubbing off' on Orihime. Just because she fell asleep next to me… and woke up curled up around me. It was a highly embarrassing scene for her, she was all red. I didn't mind. She's soft.

**10. Mantra**

Ichigo was coming. I knew he would win. Ulquiorra said that they would die, and I slapped him. No, I didn't expect any psychological comfort from him, I just… I just… I don't know. All I do know is that Stark wouldn't have said that. I repeated that line in my mind like a mantra.

**11. Pervert**

Nnoitera's getting more and more annoying. He keeps on trying to get into Orihime's room. Not that I doubt Ulquiorra's abilities to turn him down… but it's all the excuse the Quinta needs to try and kill Ulquiorra. In which case we'll need a new Quinta Espada. Either way…

**12. Fear**

Ulquiorra was off on another mission, while Ichigo's trying to save me. Sometimes I wonder if Aizen's head is in the right place. While he was gone, Nnoitera wrecked my room. I was terrified- at least when Menoly and Lola come, they can't kill me, or do worse…

**13. Unlucky**

Unlucky. That's what I'd call Nnoitera. I just so happened to be paying attention to Orihime's room (Lilinette calls it stalking) when I heard him break into it. I was over there in a few seconds, figuring my presence would at least scare Nnoitera off. I was wrong.

**14. First**

"I'm the Primera you idiot," he said lazily, taking off his glove to prove his point. Nnoitera fired another cero at Stark, but it didn't even faze him. The whole time I was turning over the lazy statement- I'm the Primera. I'm the Primera. I'm the Primera.

**15. Comfy**

She was okay. Her room was trashed though, so I took her to my room. She'd be safe from Nnoitera, and her rescuers. That wasn't my only motivation however, I will admit. I wouldn't mind sleeping on her again, she's quite comfortable.

**16. Psychiatrist**

It's easy to talk to Stark. It may seem like he's not paying attention, but he's very very attentive. I talked about my brother to him, and my friends, mainly Tatsuki and Ichigo. I talked about Ichigo a lot, I'll admit it. He's been on my mind. But not as much as he used to be.

**17. Love**

Love is a pain in the ass. Spending my whole life alone, I never indulged in any kind of relationships, sans the one I have with Lilinette, which is an odd one. I've never met anyone who was in love, until I met Orihime. Love shone in her eyes. Love for life. Love for Ichigo. Love for her friends. Maybe…

**18. Warm**

I spent a lot of time sleeping there- more sleep than I usually get. But the couch in my original room was a hard stone compared to this, this warmth and sense of belonging. It's almost as if I was always here, like here was where I belonged. And then… he kissed me.

**19. Kissing**

It was interesting. Not really something I planned out, I wouldn't really plan that kind of a thing out, but she was just laying there, broken hearted about Ichigo. I didn't have the heart to tell her Rukia Kuchki was dead. So, I kissed her instead. It seemed logical enough, right?

**20. Final**

They had to leave.

They left me.

I'd like to believe that they had no choice; that captains came and told them to go, but a nagging voice in the back of my mind says that they went back to the Soul Society because of Rukia. Because Ichigo loves her. Because he doesn't love me.

So they left me. Here, in this cold place of night. Alone.

Loneliness hurts so much- it's like a cold clammy hand that wraps itself around your heart and squeezes, growing larger and larger like a malignant tumor and sliding over your stomach. I'd cry, but I can't here. I'd go talk to Tatsuki, but she's in the human world, enjoying the sun… and the stars…

"Come watch the stars with me," he suggested softly, seeing my need to cry.

Maybe I'm not alone.

**Yeah, that was weird. But Whatevah, that was it. My attempt at doing those really funky short drabble things. I was inspired to do this while doing the dishes and just crammed it out in twenty minutes. A minute per thingi I guess. Please review.**


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